Wood County Commission aims to find 911 director, promotes deputies
The Wood County Sheriff’s Department held a promotion ceremony Monday with Matthew Hupp being promoted to lieutenant; Andrew Waters promoted to sergeant and Jackson Reeder taking his oath as a deputy sheriff. Pictured are Wood County Circuit Judge Jason Wharton, Wood County Commission President Blair Couch, Reeder, Hupp, Andrew Waters, Wood County Circuit Judge Robert Waters, Wood County Magistrate Robin Waters and Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
A mockup of what the exterior of the new Wood County Resiliency Center will look like. The building is expected to be completed May 2024. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
The Wood County Sheriff’s Department held a promotion ceremony Monday with Matthew Hupp being promoted to lieutenant; Andrew Waters promoted to sergeant and Jackson Reeder taking his oath as a deputy sheriff. Pictured are Wood County Circuit Judge Jason Wharton, Wood County Commission President Blair Couch, Reeder, Hupp, Andrew Waters, Wood County Circuit Judge Robert Waters, Wood County Magistrate Robin Waters and Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
A mockup of what the exterior of the new Wood County Resiliency Center will look like. The building is expected to be completed May 2024. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Commission will be conducting interviews Thursday for the new Wood County 911 Director.
Wood County Commission President Blair Couch said they have received resumes from a number of people and they will be bringing in the top two candidates Thursday for public interviews.
"We are hoping we will be making an appointment at that meeting," he said.
A number of prospective candidates have interviewed with County Administrator Marty Seufer and Commissioner Jimmy Colombo.
"We will bring in the top two to interview with all three of us (the whole commission)," Couch said.
The names of the two candidates have not been released yet, but will be made public when the commission posts its agenda for Thursday sometime in the next couple of days.
Back in January, Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard announced his intention to step down as the 911 Director to fully concentrate on his job as sheriff. He served as the 911 director and later combined services 911/Homeland Security director since April 1, 2014.
Woodyard had previously said he also stayed to guide the construction phase of the new 911 Center at the former Suddenlink building at U.S. 50 and I-77 and not leave that responsibility to someone else in the middle of the project. The building is expected to be completed sometime this month.
Commissioner Robert Tebay said they will be looking for the best qualified candidate.
Over the past several years, the Wood County 911 Center has benefited from Woodyard's leadership, Couch said of operations being maintained through the COVID pandemic and other challenges that have faced the center over the years.
"Our role in this hiring is to find someone who will keep it operating really well like it has been," Colombo said. "As an employer who has hired people, if your business is running well you try not to screw it up.
"We want to stay where we are at. We are really efficient where we are at. We have to get better. We are looking towards the future to make it better."
County officials expect Woodyard will be involved in the transition and be available to answer questions.
Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzales said the new Wood County 911 Center will be one of the most "state-of-the-art 911 centers in the state."
"Better than most in the state of West Virginia," he added.
Seufer said the new new 911 Center could transition into a regional center easily as there has been talk at the state level of eventually consolidating and doing regional centers someday.
In other business, the commission appointed Levi Brady as the Litter Control Officer for Wood County.
The Wood County Sheriff's Department held a promotion ceremony with Matthew Hupp being promoted to lieutenant; Andrew Waters promoted to sergeant and Jackson Reeder taking his oath as a deputy sheriff.
Seufer and Couch went over to the construction site for the new Wood County Resiliency Center and saw a mockup of what the exterior of the new building will look like. The building is expected to be completed May 2024.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com